Ben Skywalker: Renegade Jedi
by AceLightning
Summary: 20 years after the NJO, Ben Skywalker is Jacen's Padawan. A strange force plans to doom the Galactic Alliance. Ben makes some startling discoveries: on both a galactic and personal level. And a long-dead loved one may still be alive
1. New Coruscant

**A/N: **This story takes place 20 years after the end of the NJO. The Vong are all dead…all except one. Jacen Solo has become a Jedi Master and has taken his cousin, Ben Skywalker as a Padawan. Meanwhile, at the edge of the galaxy, dark forces are conspiring to doom the Galactic Alliance, dark forces that are neither truly Sith, nor Yuuzhan Vong…

**Ch.**** 1: New Coruscant**

   "Jacen, I'm fine," replied Ben Skywalker as the elegant turbolift rose up among the beautiful spires of New Coruscant. "You're mind isn't at ease, Ben. There's something bothering you." said Jedi Master Jacen Solo with a slight smile. Even after all these years, his cousin Ben was still very reserved when it came to his emotions. "You shouldn't be ashamed about your feelings," continued Jacen. "It's like what Vergere used to tell me…"

"Aww!! Not _another _Vergere story!!!" exclaimed Ben. Jacen and his apprentice both burst out laughing at this and the tension between them instantly broke. Jacen supposed he repeated Vergere's sayings a little too often. He smiled when he remembered how his Uncle Luke always used to ramble on about Yoda's "_Do, or do not. There is no try." _speech all the time at the Jedi Academy, back when it was still on Yavin 4, in the exact same way. _Uncle Luke… _thought Jacen, as he remembered his beloved mentor, friend, and relative. He'd died at the end of the Yuuzhan Vong War in a duel against Supreme Overlord Shimrra of the Vong. He'd slain the Dread Lord of the Yuuzhan Vong, but he'd collapsed moments later as he succumbed to severe wounds from Shimrra's amphistaff. Mara also died from wounds received in a firefight. Ben had then been raised by Jacen, C-3PO. R2-D2, Lowbacca, and Winter, one of the oldest friends of the Solo/Skywalker family. As for the Vong, the corrupt politician Fyor Rodan had unleashed the bio weapon known only as Alpha Red onto the major population centers of the Vong by hijacking a frigate where the weapon was being developed and dumping the bio-toxin. The disease soon spread and while it killed all the Vong and most of their wildlife and bio-tech, the Jedi had managed to contain the plague and save some of the Vong's ecology. The remaining Vonglife had proven quite effective in advancing the galaxy's technology.

    "Uh…Jacen?" Jacen snapped out of his reverie as his Padawan waved a hand in front of his eyes. "We're here," said Ben. Jacen nodded and walked out of the turbolift down the hall to a pair of huge doors ornately carved from rare japor snippet wood. The two Jedi were saluted by two Galactic Alliance guards standing on either side of the door; one guard was a Chiss, the other a Neimoidian. They were both wearing the amalgam of weaponry that made up the GA Defense Force: their torsos and legs were mostly covered by deep-blue stormtrooper armor worn over a Chiss jumpsuit. The whole armor was topped off by the helmet worn by the Rebels and later by the New Republic. _A sign of the times, thought Jacen. He smiled as he and Ben walked into the office of the Chief of State of the Galactic Alliance._

***

       Ben sighed with boredom and stroked his hand through his unruly red-gold hair. Despite the fact that he was friends with Chief Triebakk and Admiral Wedge Antilles and cared strongly for the future of the Alliance, he often found political meetings boring. He wanted action, not annoying speeches from the Hutt politician Hikta the Great, who was increasingly vying for power and had wormed his way onto the Advisory Council. Ben rolled his eyes in disgust as Hikta rambled on about why he "should" be the Galactic Alliance's next Councilor of Finance. 

     As the bloated Hutt's endless babble continued, Ben's thoughts somehow drifted to his very short relationship with his parents, Luke and Mara Jade Skywalker. He had few memories of them and thus had nothing to offer when people on the street asked him personal questions about them. They both died when he was very young. Whenever people talked about them, however, they always said that Ben had his mother's hair and head shape, as well as her stunning agility; they said he had his father's blue eyes and determination. And a lot of people always said he looked like his grandfather, Anakin Skywalker, except with red hair. _Some family…_ thought Ben.

***

Jaina walked down the darkened hallway of the sterile facility. She was at the Maw Installation. "The prisoner is here," said the guard, gesturing at the door that was now in front of them. Jaina steeled herself and walked into the cell. The occupant looked up and murmured, "Jaina Solo…". Jaina stared at him before muttering, "Hello, Nom Anor."


	2. Questions Lead to More Questions

**Ch.2 Questions Lead to More Questions**

Jaina stared at Nom Anor with silent hatred. Here was the one who was responsible for the loss of so many lives…including the life of her father, Han Solo. As she matched Nom Anor's one-eyed glare, she bitterly remembered the fight. It had been aboard the _Millenium Falcon_._ She had been pinned down in a corridor by several Vong warriors while her father and Nom Anor had battled in the flight deck, just a few meters away from the corridor in which she was fighting. She couldn't get to her dad in time to help and when she finally fought off the Vong and rushed onto the deck, she arrived just in time to see Nom Anor's amphistaff sink its teeth deep into the body of her dad. She had cried out and rushed Nom Anor. She would have given into her dark rage and slaughtered him, like he deserved to be, if her dad hadn't told her with his dying gasp that he loved her and did not want his daughter to fall to the dark side. So she had let the dirty womprat live and had him sent to this high-security facility in the Maw._

   Nom Anor smiled. "I take it this isn't a social call. I'm surprised you had the strength to come here. How is Jacen Solo?" Jaina gritted her teeth and spit out, "He's a Jedi Master and he's rebuilt the Jedi Order that you thought you could destroy. He's training his cousin to be a great Jedi Knight. He's…"

   Nom Anor cut her short with a needle-toothed grin. "Ah, you mean your late Aunt Mara's _precious little Ben?_" sneered the former executor. Jaina replied, 'Let's cut to the chase. We thought you were the last Vong, but now we've uncovered evidence that there may be others out there." She gaze him a piercing, furious gaze and said, "_What do you know?_" Nom Anor smiled, leaned forward close to Jaina's ear and in a barely audible whisper replied, "I know nothing, Jaina Solo. The question is, what do _YOU know?" Jaina's eyes panicked as he gave her another needle-toothed grin._

***

Ben grinned as his podracer zoomed wildly across the tropical harbor near his favorite beach on New Coruscant. He loved to be out here, letting the wind blow in his face. He grin got even wider when he narrowly missed an outcropping of stone, jutting up from the water, that had once been a statue of Borsk Fey'lya during the days when New Coruscant was still, well, _OLD Coruscant, a world covered by urban terrain. New Coruscant still had plenty of that, but now it had NATURAL terrain growing right on top of it in a perfect blend between civilization and nature. _

      "How you doin'?!" he shouted cockily to the girl in the podracer that was speeding along next to his. Vix Katarn grinned back at him and gave him a thumbs-up, her brown hair streaming out wildly behind her. Normal humans could only dream of doing this, but Ben and Vix weren't normal humans…they were Jedi, and they had been best friends ever since they were toddlers. She was the daughter of Jedi Master Kyle Katarn and his wife, Galactic Alliance secret agent Jan Ors-Katarn. He had her father's sense of adventure and her mother quick thinking. Together, she and Ben had pulled several pranks while growing up: pranks as little as hiding an ysalamiri inside Master Durron's survival kit when he was trying to demonstrate the use of the Force to the students at the Jedi Temple, to pranks as large-scale as switching Fyor Rodan's copy of his speech with an old lady's laundry list right before a meeting of the Senate. They were the perfect team.

    "Race you out to Eastport Island!" shouted Vix, right before putting her podracer on full throttle and zooming away, causing a tidal wave to splash in Ben's face. "You're dead meat!" he joked as he sped after her.

They raced over the water towards a cluster of particularly tall skyscrapers jutting out of the water. They once formed the area known as Eastport, where Ben's aunt and uncle, Han and Leia Solo, had lived with their children, Lowbacca's uncle Chewbacca, and C-3PO. Now an island, it was a favorite spot for people who looking for a good time. Ben veered past the series of elevated platforms that were Eastport/Imperial City Spaceport. By the time he arrived at the edge of Eastport Island itself, Vix's podracer was already waiting for him. But Vix wasn't. Ben reached out to her with the Force and located her just a little bit inward from the shore. He parked his podracer and jogged up to her. He found her among a crowd of beings staring at something on the ground. "What's going on?" he asked Vix. "My guess is as good as yours, Ben. But I sense a lot of shock coming from these people" she replied. They made their way to the front of the crowd and froze at what they saw. Lying on the ground was the body of Senator Brist Fultrex from the Corellian sector. He had a burnt-out hole in his chest, where some kind of explosive projectile had apparently hit him. Ben knelt down, braced himself, and looked inside the hole. To his horror, he found the smoking husk of something he had only seen in museums: the remains of a thud bug.


	3. In the Temple

**A/N: Hope you guys like it so far! **

**Ch.**** 3 In the **Temple********

        Ben scratched his head and stared thoughtfully at the monitor as it displayed information about the last known living specimens of thud bugs on New Coruscant. He was investigating the possibility that they might have reproduced and created a new generation of the infamous exploding insects from the Yuuzhan Vong War. But the last specimens on New Coruscant were found nowhere near Eastport Island; in fact, they were found on the other side of the planet. "Any luck, Ben?" asked a weary voice. Ben turned around and saw the aging Corran Horn entering the Archives room. Corran had just heard the news about the death of the Corellian senator and as a Corellian himself, was quite stunned by the incident. Brist Fultrex had been one of the youngest and brightest senators in the Galactic Alliance. It had even been rumored that he had been planning to run for Chief of State at the end of Triebakk's current term.

"Nope," sighed Ben. Corran replied, "You'll find something, Ben. I know it." and patted Ben on the shoulder before leaving. Ben decided he needed to take a break and left the room as well. The New Jedi Temple had been built directly upon the ruins of the original one, which had been bombed during the rise of the Emperor and damaged even more during the Yuuzhan Vong occupation of the planet that had been Coruscant and Yuuzhan'tar. As Ben strolled down the hall, one that had probably been strolled by Jedi for over 25,000 years, he glanced into the open doors along his path. Inside each one, there were Padawans training and Knights and Masters honing their skills. As he rounded a corner, he nearly bumped into Master Tahiri Veila. She was a very soft-spoken woman, and arched her eyebrows slightly. Ben couldn't help noticing the scars on her forehead and arms, inflicted by the Shaper Mezhan Kwaad and later by Master Veila herself. Ben was about to apologize when Tahiri suddenly looked alarmed and said, "I must go!" before running towards a nearby doorway, leading to the Jedi Temple Hangar, where the Jedi stored their Sekotan X-Wings. 

    Ben shrugged and continued down the hall before sensing his best friend approaching him. He looked up to see Vix hurrying up to him. "Ben! I found something that might be the lead we've been looking for!" Ben leaned forward with interest. "Tell me," he responded. Vix Katarn grinned and replied, "My master told me she heard reports of smugglers on a small planet near Bakura transporting cages full of snakes!" Ben cocked his head and smirked. "And just what do _snakes _have to do with this? I think you've been spending too much time around Master Sebatyne." Vix returned his smirk and replied, "Leave my master out of this, Skywalker. And snakes _do _have something to do with this. The Yuuzhan Vong carried _amphistaffs! You know, snake-like things? And if these smugglers have amphistaffs, they've probably got thud bugs too." Ben's eyes widened at the thought of smugglers utilizing Yuuzhan Vong biotech for their own purposes. "So do you think our masters will let us go on this solo?"_

Vix shrugged and said, "It's about time for us to face the Trials anyway. This will be a good test. Let's talk with them about it." Ben nodded his head in agreement. "Let's go."

***

        Jacen frowned as he considered the request. He and Master Saba Sebatyne were seated in the High Council Chamber along with the other Jedi on the Council. Ben and Vix stood before them. "I am confident in your abilitiessss, Vix. I am sure that you would do well on thissssss mission," said Saba. Jacen finally nodded and said, "I think Ben is also ready." He looked up at the other Council members. No one seemed to have any objections and the matter seemed settled. "You will depart for Aphridoc IV tomorrow morning," he finished. Aphridoc IV was the name of the "small planet near Bakura" that Vix had told Ben about. The two Padawans grinned at each other. Tomorrow they would begin the mission that would prove whether or not they were ready to be elevated to Jedi Knights.

***

The _Millenium Falcon flew alongside the __Jade Shadow through the upper atmosphere of New Coruscant and into the vacuum of space. Jacen and Saba were aboard the __Falcon, escorting Ben and Vix to the edge of New Coruscant's gravity well. "__Jade Shadow to _Millenium Falcon_. All systems are a go," said Ben over the comm. The __Shadow's cargo bay contained a Sekotan X-Wing, with R2-D2 in the droid socket for good measure. Sekotan X-Wings were X-Wings modified by technology from Zonama Sekot to become much faster and efficient. "_Falcon _to __Shadow, you have clearance to enter hyperspace," returned Jacen. "And remember, Padawans, thisss mission is very important. May the Force be with you."_

"And also with you," commed Ben and Vix. At that moment, the _Jade Shadow left New Coruscant's gravity well and entered hyperspace. Jacen sat thoughtfully at the __Falcon's controls a minute before turning his father's modified Corellian light freighter around and heading back for the planet. Saba sensed his worry. "Do not worry, Massster Solo. They will be fine," she said. "I certainly hope so," replied Jacen._

***

          The stars in the viewport stretched into elongated streaks before there was a blinding flash of light. The viewport then displayed the swirling colors of hyperspace. Ben leaned back in his chair. This ship had been his mother's. He was sitting in the very chair that she had sat in so many times in the past. When Jacen had let Ben fly his mother's ship for the first time, he had been so excited and sad at the same time. Before Mara Jade Skywalker had died, one of her requests was not to sell the _Jade Shadow, but to give it to Ben when he was old enough to pilot it. This ship was his mother's her final gift to her only child, the sole heir to the legacy of herself and her beloved husband. _

Vix sensed his feelings and gently put her hand on his. "Its okay, Ben. I know that your parents will always be with you in the Force. " Ben smiled and was surprised when he felt himself blush at Vix's touch. Vix quickly pulled away and returned her attention to the datapad with the mission objectives on it. Little did either of them know that once they reached their destination, their lives would never be the same again.


	4. Heat

**A/N: And now, a very interesting chain of events is about to take place. Keep R&Ring!**

**Ch.**** 4 Heat**

         "This is interesting." Ben woke up with a start at the sound of Vix's voice. "What is it?" he asked. "I've been doing some research on our destination, and I noticed that our old _buddy on the Advisory Council, Hikta the Great, has some personal friends who own a mining operation on Aphridoc IV." Ben snorted. "More like a _smuggling and/or slave trading _operation, knowing the kind of company Hikta keeps," he remarked. His female friend grinned at him. "Well, anyway, if we're right about the true nature of this operation, it's probably connected to the amphistaff sighting and the assassination of Senator Fultrex," continued Vix. "Fultrex always was a rather vocal opponent of Hikta in the Senate," remarked Ben, leaning back and stretching his arms. Vix nodded grimly and glanced at an instrument on the control panel. "Sit tight. We'll be coming out of hyperspace in just a minute," she said._

              There was a blinding flash of light and they returned to realspace. They tuned their comm to a frequency that was recently found to be used by local smugglers by Vix's father, Kyle Katarn. However, it was now encrypted. The _Shadow_'s decrypter immediately tried to unscramble the information but they still only got static and a few snippets of comm chatter: _"Alpha Green…biotech…Boss B…Ssi-ruuk…Council…Leia Organa Solo…" . Ben's eyes widened in surprise at the mention of his late aunt, who had died peacefully in her sleep when Ben was only twelve years old. Why would her name be mentioned on this frequency? And what did the Ssi-ruuk have to do with this? Suddenly, the _Shadow _beeped a warning that there were incoming fighters. "Looks like we've been noticed!" he yelled. "Should I get in the X-Wing?" asked Vix. "Nah. Sit tight. I'll get them off our tails in just a sec," responded Ben. _

          After a dogfight that lasted a few minutes, Ben turned on the ship's cloaking device, the most advanced model the Jedi Order had to offer, and slipped into the planet's atmosphere. Aphridoc IV was sparsely populated and generally overshadowed by the major planet in this sector, Bakura, as well as this region's most noted historic site, Endor. It was the perfect planet to go if you wanted to start an operation that you wanted to go unnoticed. Ben noted that the planet was beautiful even from up here. It was colored crimson, orange, and yellow with blue oceans and white clouds. As the _Jade Shadow _dipped beneath a blanket of clouds, he had to admit that if he and Vix were dating, this would probably be a very romantic vacation spot…

"_Snap out of it, Skywalker!" he quickly thought to himself. He had absolutely no idea how __that thought had popped into his head. He and Vix were best friends. Despite the fact that she was extremely beautiful and funny, Ben would feel awkward dating someone he'd been friends with for so long. In fact, this was probably the first time Ben had ever thought of Vix as anything __other than a friend. He pushed these thoughts to the back of his mind and tried to return his attention to the ship's controls._

***

          Vix took in the scene as she walked down the _Shadow_'s boarding ramp with Ben. They'd landed in a clearing at the heart of a tropical rainforest; one of many that covered this world. There was a hot spring in this clearing, as well as a waterfall that fed into a small, meandering stream that flowed away into the underbrush. The air was fresh and clean. She checked the temperature readings on her wrist-comm. She noted that it was going to be a hot, sultry night.


	5. Power and Passion

**Ch.**** 5 Power and Passion**

**A/N: Now things REALLY start heating up!**

         Jacen sensed the disturbance in the Force as if he had been struck by lightning. Something was terribly wrong. He walked out of the meditation chamber and down a hall to the nearest Holonet terminal. He pressed a button and activated the screen. He keyed another command and the screen transitioned to a list of all the latest news. There was a huge headline that he immediately saw: **_KUATI SENATOR VINEESA OCT, GENERAL ARIEN YAGE, AND ROGUE LEADER XAN LANTOS ASSASSINATED!!!! _**

****Jacen closed his eyes and shook his head heavily. Then he looked back at the screen for the details. The screen read: _Galactic Alliance General Arien Yage (former Imperial officer), Kuati Senator Vineesa Oct and famous pilot Xan Lantos of Rogue Squadron were killed today while visiting __Theed__University__ on Naboo. The trio was on a tour of the galaxy, attending numerous rallies in support of the Galactic __Alliance__ military. Senator Oct and Xan Lantos were long suspected by the entertainment gossip vids of having a secret relationship. Arien Yage has been a prominent figure in the __Alliance__ military ever since assisting the Skywalkers in their search for Zonama Sekot over two decades ago. When they were taken to __Theed__University__Hospital__ for autopsy and reporters began asking questions, authorities refused to comment on the weapons used to kill them. These famous figures are not alone. Two days ago, Senator Brist Fultrex of Corellia was also assassinated. Interestingly, he'd just returned from a vacation on Naboo. And several local officials on this backwater planet have also been assassinated. There are numerous rumors now circulating over this, most of which are certainly not credible. (**PLAY TRANSMISSION OF THIS). Jacen clicked the bold icon and a window appeared on the screen showing a video of a very deranged-looking lady shrieking "It's the return of the Emperor!!!! Prepare for the New Rise of Palpatine!!!!!!!!!"**_

       Jacen shook his head and turned the screen off. He had a very horrible hunch on what kind of weapons were used to kill the three famous figures. He immediately took out a special comlink that automatically called Chief Triebakk. "Hello, Triebakk," said Jacen. "Have they told you what killed them?" The Chief of State's response confirmed Jacen's suspicions. They had been killed with thud bugs and razor bugs. Jacen breathed in at the Chief's next words. He was calling a special session of the Senate, Advisory Council, and High Council. 

***

   Ben and Vix set in front of the campfire. R2 tweedled cheerfully as he scanned the area to see what kind of lifeforms were around here. Ben glanced nervously at Vix every few seconds. This couldn't be happening. She was his best friend. He finally asked her a question. "Vix," he said, "we've been friends for a long time, right?" Vix slowly nodded her head, her face as red as a tap beet. Ben swallowed the lump in his throat and continued. "You…you'd never want to lose that, would you?" Vix whispered, "No, Ben. I wouldn't." Ben finally got up his courage. "Well ever since we were in transit to this place, and now especially in this place, I've been thinking about, well…_us _in a different way. I'm not even sure I want to. But I think I'm starting to feel a lot more strongly about you."

    To his surprise, she turned around and looked into his blue eyes with her own brown ones. "Ben…I think I've been feeling the same way. " Ben looked at her for a few more seconds before leaning in for the kiss. Vix didn't resist. She wrapped her arms around his neck and shoulders and drew him closer. Then they finally locked lips and kissed, entwined in each other's arms.

***

       Jacen stormed down the hall after Triebakk. "Triebakk, you can't do this! Who knows if these assassins will strike again during this meeting! I mean, with so many important people gathered in one place, the odds for an attempt are unbelievably high!!!!!" The Wookiee turned around and looked wearily at Jacen before roaring something that translated to: _I have no choice, Master Solo. The Advisory Council is pushing for this. I don't know why they would if their own lives are on the line, but they are._

Jacen said, "The Jedi will be there, but we can't protect _everyone all at once. These assassins might attack in large numbers. Who knows what they're capable of if they've got Yuuzhan Vong biotech on their side?! Triebakk replied, "__It's too late to call the meeting off now, my friend. Everyone has already gathered in the Grand Convocation Chamber and they're waiting for us to come out. Don't worry, though. I have ordered t that this meeting will not have any coverage from the media. Whatever is revealed in the Chamber stays in the Chamber._

Jacen shook his head. He had a strong feeling that something terrible was about to happen. If only he hadn't been informed about this meeting on such short notice! Even now, he and Chief Triebakk were walking down a hallway towards the Grand Convocation Chamber, where the Senate was now convened. But he had no choice now. He breathed in, steeled himself, and walked through the doors leading into the chamber.


	6. Insurgence

**Ch.**** 5 Insurgence**

       Jacen looked around the Grand Convocation Chamber. It had been cleared of the yorik coral that had once encased it, but at the bottom of the huge room, a pool of pulsating red and yellow lights still supported the World Brain, put there by the Yuuzhan Vong. It was now used to maintain New Coruscant's budding ecology. Jacen had a very special connection to it and it would do whatever he wished if he asked, but Jacen kept this a very closely guarded secret. Jacen observed all the Galactic Alliance dignitaries gathered in the Chamber. There was Gilad Pellaeon, Assistant Chief of State, now in his third term. The man was ancient, but he was still quite energetic. Hikta the Great was eagerly licking the remains of a frog-like creature off of his pudgy fingers. Then there was Tahiri, who looked quite shaken. And Jaina, who often served as a liaison between the Jedi and the Defense Force, looked extremely nervous, her eyes darting back and forth. 

        The Senators finally quieted and Triebakk, from his floating platform, built to replace the dais that had been converted into the World Brain's nest, welcomed everyone with a growl. The platform was large enough to seat the entire Advisory Council, Admiral Wedge Antilles and his usual contingent of military experts, and Jacen. After a few minutes briefing on the crisis at hand, he gestured to Admiral Antilles, who then activated his microphone. "Good evening," said Wedge. "I'd like to begin by recommending that all Senators be escorted by bodyguards appointed by the Defense…"

     Suddenly, the doors to the Chamber exploded and several cloaked figures rushed in and began releasing thud bugs and razor bugs. Senators began dropping dead left and right as they were hit by the deadly projectiles. Jacen immediately ignited his green lightsaber and leaped off the floating platform, using the Force to cushion his landing as he hit a staircase. He immediately began deflecting the menacing bugs away from as many Senators as he could. He sensed the other Jedi in the Chamber doing the same. Jacen looked up and saw the head of a serpent-like amphistaff diving towards him, fangs flashing. He dodged it and began attacking the figure holding it. The figure put up a pitched fight. Every time Jacen attempted to dismember one of his or her limbs, the figure blocked his lightsaber blade with gauntlets made of cortosis, a metal that lightsabers had a hard time penetrating. From the frustration he felt emanating in the Force, he could tell the other Jedi were facing similar difficulties. Jacen finally sliced the assailant's arms off and removed the hood from the cloak…only to be shocked.

         The woman appeared to be a Twi'lek, but her face and headtails were scarified and tattooed like that of a Yuuzhan Vong. The Twi'lek, or Vong, or whatever she was, looked up at Jacen and sneered, "What's the matter, Master Jedi? Nexu got your tongue?" Jacen reeled in shock. What was she? Who were these attackers? And why did her voice sound so familiar? He quickly snapped back to himself as he heard a nearby Senator wailing in pain. As he stood up and began deflecting projectiles and attacking the strange assailants again, he noticed reporters and news probe droids diving out from their hiding places. Naturally, since this was supposed to be a private meeting, the media had bribed several officials into smuggling them into the Grand Convocation Chamber.

***

       Jaina dived into a corner of the Chamber, a thud bug narrowly missing her head. She whipped out a comlink and activated it. "This wasn't supposed to happen, you idiot!" she hissed at her contact. The being on the other end of the comlink let out a derisive laugh. "Look, you made a commitment!" she said, her eyes and nostrils widening in fury. Her contact simply deactivated the comlink they had. Jaina muttered a curse under her breath.

***

         Suddenly, a huge, black insect-like thing flew in through a hole in the wall that had once been a door. A grutchin. Jacen gasped as it began tearing Senators to shreds as if they were rag dolls. Grutchins were believed to have been completely wiped out; but then again, so were thud bugs, razor bugs, and amphistaffs. But a grutchin in _here? This was too much. Jacen sighed with relief though, as a missile from a launcher held by Wedge Antilles, along with blasterfire from the other Defense Force representatives, killed the horrible thing. _

        As the battle wore on, the Senators finally managed to start exiting secret passageways that exited the Chamber. However, the attackers ignited something that only the Jedi should have: lightsabers. Blood-red lightsabers. And apparently, they were well-trained, noted Jacen as he fought one of them. Finally, Jacen took a thud bug to his left leg and collapsed to the floor. He lost consciousness and slipped into blackness. 

***

    After what could have been hours, Jacen woke up. He didn't actually open his eyes, but he was awake. Finally, he lifted his eyelids and took in his surroundings. He was in the medical wing of the Jedi Temple. He was lying on a bed with white sheets in a circular room. The ceiling was covered with a special moss that produced a therapeutic aroma that was beneficial to a human's healing rate, and the window had been opened to let in the fresh breeze of the New Coruscant night.

       He heard footsteps and felt a familiar presence. The door opened and the Jedi Healer Cilghal strode into the room. "Good. You're awake," she said as she propped up his pillow and put a mug of bactade in his hand. "Here, drink this. It'll help heal your leg." she said warmly. Jacen groaned groggily. "My leg?" he asked. Then he remembered the attack on the Senate. He closed his eyes as he remembered the nature of the assassins. Something was terribly wrong.


	7. The Price of Passion

**A/N: Time for some more Ben/Vix and some more mystery!**

**Ch.**** 7 The Price of Passion**

       Ben caressed Vix passionately as she did the same to him. They had spent the past hour or so doing this. He smiled lovingly at her. He sure wouldn't mind being with her forever. Suddenly, Ben's comlink beeped. Ben sighed as he picked it up and answered it. "Yeah?" he asked. His expression was dull for a second until his eyes suddenly widened in shock. After a minute of conversing with someone, he hung up. "What is it?" asked Vix, back to her serious self. Ben swallowed a lump in his throat and replied, "That was Master Zekk. He had bad news. There's been an attack on the Senate, Vix. And my Master's been injured" Vix immediately sat up and said, "We'd better turn on our Holonet receiver and look at the full coverage. They marched aboard the _Jade Shadow_, sat down in the pilot and copilot seats, and activated the ship's Holonet receiver. They clicked into the live news coverage section and watched as a live video of the Grand Convocation Chamber appeared on the screen. It was littered with bodies of dead and injured Senators. A window of a female Bothan reporter was in the corner of the screen saying, "…Chamber was attacked by an army of unknown origins, interrupting a major meeting that was going on at the time. As with the previous attacks that have gone on in the past few days, the Chief of State's spokesperson in the Imperial Palace refused to comment on the weapons used. Several Senators have died in the attack, more have died at Imperial City Hospital, and even more have been injured. We managed to obtain a tape of the incident which will now be played." The live feed from the Grand Convocation Chamber immediately changed to a holo taken during the insurgence. The screen showed a holo of attackers dressed in black cloaks armed with amphistaffs, thud bugs, and razor bugs. Then the holo focused on Jacen getting up from kneeling over one of the attackers and begin deflecting more projectiles and attacking more of the intruders. Then it zoomed in on the face of the unmasked and unarmed (quite literally) attacker that Jacen had been kneeling over. Ben and Vix stared wide-eyed at the strange being blinking up at the floating holocam that had taken this holo.

     She seemed to be a Twi'lek but she was scarified and tattooed like a Vong. She grinned maliciously up at the viewers and sneered, "Hello to all you fools in the Galactic Alliance. Just to let you know, _this is only the beginning. Your government is doomed to failure." Then the strange being gagged and lost consciousness. The holo continued with footage of a grutchin attacking the Senators, only to be killed by Wedge Antilles and his assistants. The footage focused on Jacen as he was injured by a thud bug and lost consciousness. Finally, after a few more minutes of fighting, the attackers were chased out of the Grand Convocation Chamber by the Defense Force and the Jedi. But before they did, the one who appeared to be their leader turned around and tossed one more thud bug before turning and leaving. The holocam followed the leader outside into the entrance hall, where a large hole had been molten into the floor. The leader dived into the hole and disappeared. At this point, the footage stopped and the female Bothan reappeared on the screen. "Jedi Masters Lowbacca and Saba Sebatyne dived into the hole shortly after the apparent ringleader of this attack dived into that hole. Also entering the hole was Lowbacca's Padawan Silacheen. No word yet on what has happened to them since." _

      Vix looked grimly at Ben. "I guess…if we'd been…working instead of, you know, making out, we could've found clues." Ben looked at her in shock. "It wasn't our fault!" he protested. "Even if we'd found clues, that wouldn't have prevented this attack. It was obviously going into motion too quickly. " Vix sighed and replied, "I think I love you, Ben. I really mean it. But for now, we have work to do." Ben lowered his head and nodded. 

***

       Lania Xarti smiled as she walked gracefully through the darkened hall. The leader of the strike team had contacted her from the sewers of New Coruscant. The attack on the Senate had been highly successful. Several Senators had died in the attack and the citizens of the Galactic Alliance had been terrified. Her bodyguards walked down beside and slightly behind her. One had once been a Rodian, the other used to be a Ssi-ruuk. But now they were both something better than they had ever been before. Another small smile reached her lips at this thought. She finally entered the vault: the vault where her most valuable asset had lived for more than a decade. The doors of Mandalorian iron, reinforced by cortosis beams, slid open after she allowed the security panel to perform a retinal scan on her and after she'd entered a code. She then entered the darkened room. It was crawling with ysalamiri. She motioned to her bodyguards with her hand and cooed, "Leave us,". The guards bowed and backed out of the room. The Mandalorian iron door then slid shut again. Lania thrived on the darkness that engulfed her. She strode toward the silhouette that she knew was her captive. "Hello there. I assume you are as miserable today as you always are when I visit.'

      The woman, bound to the wall with shackles of yet more lightsaber-resistant cortosis, groaned groggily and inclined her head towards Lania. "Why…why am I here?" she asked in a strained voice. Lania smirked and smoothly replied, "How many times have you asked me that same question? You already know the answer. " Lania leaned closer to the woman's face and said in a barely audible whisper, "Your loved ones will come for you one day and they will fail to free you…and then they will die." The prisoner, who had once lived a happy life with her husband on the capital world, suddenly struggled against her bonds, drawing a derisive laugh from her captor. The prisoner stopped struggling and instead settled for spitting in Lania's face. Her captor didn't even flinch. Lania drew even closer and whispered, "Don't worry. That day will come soon. Very soon."


	8. Shadows

**Ch.**** 8 Shadows**

         Ben reached out with the Force to make sure that no guards were around. He and Vix had broken into a docking facility at the nearest town. The facility happened to be controlled by friends of Hikta the Great. Satisfied that no one was around, Ben, who had already had Artoo scan the area to make sure there were no security cams or droids lurking around, walked out from behind the stack of crates, followed closely by Artoo. Vix was in disguise talking to the manager of the facility, pretending she was a representative of Hikta, so that she could perhaps get any information Ben couldn't get. The crates were unmarked but Ben suspected that these weren't the original crates. He looked around until he found a furnace full of the flaming remains of several crates. _Yup, he thought, __these must be the originals. And they aren't as untraceable as those ones that are being shipped out. This was true because these crates had alien writing on them. _

        Ben was able to recognize a few symbols that remained on the burning crates. They were from the alphabet of the Ssi-ruuk. Ben shook his head. This just kept getting weirder and weirder. He got up and went to the area where the new, unmarked crates were being automatically loaded by a huge machine into the back of a ship. _Now_, Ben sensed guards around. He quickly ducked back behind an empty barrel and listened closely to the guards' conversation for any clues. He got one. "Yeah, as soon as this shipment leaves for Tatooine, I am gonna ask the manager for a raise," growled a gruff-looking Gran. 

      Ben listened for any more clues. The rest of the conversation was just about the latest sports news. Ben crawled away again just as the Gran's Devaronian companion began ranting about how he hated the winner of the previous night's podrace. Ben met up with Artoo at the back of the warehouse. "Alright, Artoo. I got some good info. Now let's wait outside for Vix." The little blue and silver astromech droid followed him outside before twiddling cheerfully, knowing the value of stealth. A minute later, as the ship transporting the crates, which were full of Vong biotech, to Tatooine launched, an explosion rocked the administrative building adjacent to the facility. Ben smiled and shook his head as Vix ran out from the cloud of ash grinning from ear to ear. She sometimes couldn't resist damaging an enemy's operation when she had the chance.

***

      Jacen listened carefully to the report from Lowbacca. Threepio was standing beside the desk. Lowie, his apprentice Silacheen, and Saba had returned from the sewers of Imperial City with the news that their quarry had escaped. As he listened wearily to Lowbacca's account of the tactics the enemy had used to escape, his head began throbbing. Jacen shook his head and attempted to use the Force to end it. Now was not the time for a migraine. Suddenly, the pain intensified and clouded out his vision. Jacen yelled out as he was suddenly surrounded by an intensely bright white light. 

    As Jacen stared in amazement, a silhouette appeared in the light, reaching out to him, crying for help. As Jacen watched, the figure morphed into that of an avian figure with a tall crest of feathers tufting up wildly from the top of her head. It was Vergere.

   "Vergere!" Jacen cried. "Is it really you?!" Finally, the silhouette resolved into a clear image of Jacen's old friend and mentor. It really was Vergere. Jacen gasped in astonishment. Vergere's spirit hadn't appeared to him in years. This was amazing, especially more than twenty years after her death. His Uncle Luke had always told him that the spirit of Obi-Wan Kenobi had appeared to him for the last time only nine years after his death. But then again, maybe Vergere was much more powerful than even the legendary Kenobi.

    "Greetings, Jacen Solo. I come to you to deliver an important message. Possibly the most important message you've needed in years." The spectral form of Vergere gazed steadfastly at Jacen, who nodded quickly, his mouth still gaping open. "I'm listening," he replied. Vergere said, "Jacen Solo, one of your loved ones is in terrible peril. Someone you've loved dearly. She needs your help. But only by opening yourself to the Force and remaining strong can you save her. Remember, young Solo, your Padawan is destined for much power. Teach him well." Jacen gasped again as Vergere began fading away. "Vergere, wait!" But the Fosh disappeared as the white light dissolved into the blurry image of a Wookiee leaning over him, baying something that translated to: _Are you okay?! _Jacen blinked and sat up. He was back in his office an Lowbacca was kneeling there trying to find out what had happened. Threepio stood nearby babbling frantically into a comm unit for a medical droid. Jacen sat stunned for a minute before replying, "Lowie, Threepio, I think I just had a vision."

***

       Ben sat up in his bed aboard the _Jade Shadow. He finally remembered what was going on. Vix was piloting the ship to Tatooine, to see what was going on down on the desert world. But that was definitely not what had made him wake up from his nap. He had seen his parents._


	9. Trouble

**A/N: Now both Ben and Jacen are gonna find a lot of…**

**Ch.**** 9 Trouble**

      Ben sat quietly in the copilot's seat next to Vix as the _Jade Shadow _flew down low over Mos Eisley. Vix glanced at Ben every now and then. Finally she asked, "Alright. What's going on, Ben?" Ben quickly sat up and looked at her and replied, "Uh…what do you mean? Nothing's wrong. Nope. Nothing at all." Vix fixed her gaze on him with a knowing smile. "Ben, the last time you were this quiet was when Jacen found out that you were the one who had planted a live womprat inside Kyp's gorga pie when we were six!" she exclaimed, grinning. Then her face grew serious again and she said, "Ben you know you can trust me with anything. What's bothering you?"

       Ben sighed, leaned back, and finally replied, "A little while ago, I had a vision with my parents in it." Vix quickly sat up and stared seriously at him. "Go on," she said. Ben continued, "They were calling to me. They told me that someone needs help. They told me to trust in the Force to guide me…and then they just disappeared." Ben closed his eyes and remembered the image of his parents: The lithe woman with flowing red hair that was Mara Jade Skywalker and the powerful-yet-kind-looking blond man that was Luke Skywalker. 

      Ben and Vix sat in silence for the rest of the landing sequence. They landed just a few sand dunes from the old palace of Jabba the Hutt, which had been converted into a monastery for the Bo'marr monks. The enemy had landed a few miles away. It was dusk in the desert. As they left the _Shadow_, Ben suddenly felt a surge of agony in the Force. After about ten minutes of crawling through the desert sand, they peered over the last sand dune before Jabba's Palace and beheld a horrible sight.

     The Bo'marr monks had been rounded up and were being tortured outside the Palace by several henchmen. The two companions could also the loathsome silhouette of a Hutt moving among the screaming Bo'marr, his loud, baritone laugh echoing into the twilight. Vix quickly tapped Ben on the shoulder and motioned to the datapad she'd brought with them. "Ben," she whispered, "I did some research and I found out that Hikta the Great is part of the Desilijic clan…the same clan as Jabba the Hutt! In fact…Hikta is Jabba's _child!" Ben blinked in astonishment before regaining his calm face and grinning. He replied, "You never stop digging, do you?" Vix returned his smile with a twinkle in her eyes. Suddenly, they felt another spike of terror and agony resounding in the Force and they quickly remembered where they were. "Alright, Vix," said Ben, "I'll go there now and see if I can't _convince _that Hutt to spill the beans on what in the nine Corellian hells in going on." "Ben, don't just rush in!" hissed Vix, but it was too late._

    Ben rushed out from behind the sand dune, lightsaber blazing.

***

    Jacen strolled down the hall beside Tesar Sebatyne, Saba's son. They were discussing what to do about the strange attackers in the Senate. Funny they should be mentioning them, because a moment later, the doors to the Jedi Temple burst open. "It's another attack!" yelled Jacen. He and Tesar ignited their lightsabers and rushed forward as the same assassins who attacked the Senate began swarming in. 

   Jacen and the other Jedi fought hard as the attackers attempted to pillage the Temple. The attackers were armed to the teeth with thud bugs, razor bugs, amphistaffs, lightsabers and occasionally a blaster. As the battle raged deeper and deeper into the Temple's interior, many rooms were set on fire by an orangish-yellow jelly thrown by the attackers: fire jelly. Yet another weapon that had been used by the Yuuzhan Vong. Jacen, Tesar, Lowie, Kyle Katarn, and Zekk sabered several invaders who tried to break into the Council room. 

   When the enemy finally retreated, they had killed eighteen Jedi Knights. Jacen shook his head sadly as he deactivated his lightsaber and knelt down over the body of one of the Knights he had watched grow up and had seen dying. Suddenly, the elderly Master Tionne rushed up to Jacen. "Master Solo! Master Solo!" she yelled as she jogged up to him. "Tionne, calm down. What is it?" he asked, standing up and gently putting a hand on the old Master's shoulder. Tionne was still frantic as she replied, "Five of the Padawans have been kidnapped!" 


	10. Lost

**Ch.**** 10 Lost**

         Ben and Vix fought side-by-side, Ben's green lightsaber slicing henchmen on one side while Vix's blue one killed henchmen on the other side. The Hutt was waddling up to the Palace as fast as it could. Finally, all the henchmen were dead. "Vix, stay here and see if you can heal any of these Bo'marr!" exclaimed Ben as he ran up the sand dune toward what used to be Jabba's Palace. He had never been much of a healer, so Vix was better for that. Ben was more of the rugged weapon type. "Ben, be careful!" yelled Vix. Before he could continue, she ran up to him and kissed him again. Ben grinned a lopsided grin that was definitely inherited from the teenaged Anakin Skywalker and moved to intercept the Hutt as Vix began transferring healing energies into the bodies of the Bo'marr who were still alive.

     Ben caught up to the Hutt and sliced its right arm off. The loathsome creature bellowed loudly in pain. "Alright Fatso, who are you and what the Sith is this plan of yours?" asked Ben, pointing his lightsaber at the Hutt's face. This was not Hikta, but it might be someone else from the Desilijic clan. The Hutt stared at Ben with his bulging yellow eyes before laughing loudly, apparently ignoring the pain in the stump of his shoulder. Ben scowled and waved the lightsaber in front of the Hutt, in an attempt to intimidate him. The over-sized slug just continued laughing. Vix looked up from her work to see what was going on. Ben remained focused on the Hutt. Suddenly, he felt a warning in the Force and turned around just in time for a thud bug to hit his left arm as some Vong-like warriors charged out of Jabba's Palace. Ben groaned and collapsed to the ground, yelling, "Vix get back to the _Shadow!!!_"

    Instead, Vix rushed past Ben and the Hutt and attempted to attack the warriors. With a gasp of air, Ben yelled, "Vix, just get back to New Coruscant and warn Jacen!!! He'll know what to do!!! Trust me!" Jacen and Ben had been living and working together for so long, and they were so close, that they could sense each other's location from anywhere in the galaxy. The last thing he saw as the darkness clouded his vision was Vix turning on her heel and heading back to the ship, a warrior in hot pursuit of her. Then he slipped into unconsciousness on the sand.

***

       "Look Jag, I love you too, but I don't want you to throw away your life by marrying me," said Jaina angrily from behind her desk in the Defense Force Headquarters. Commander Jagged Fel of the Galactic Alliance Defense Force, and leader of Comet Squadron, stared at Jaina, pain evident in his eyes. "Jaina, I don't want you to close yourself from everyone. Especially not me. We've been together for so long! I love you, and I want to be your husband!" Then he quietly added, "I can't live without you, Jaina." 

    Jaina's face softened considerably she sagged slightly, but she replied, "Jag, I am not breaking up with you. I just don't think we should get married. At least not yet." Jag pleaded, "Jaina, we're 40 years old! If we wait another twenty years, I…" he broke off and shook his head. "Can't we at least talk about it over dinner. Jaina stared at him for a long uncomfortable moment before finally nodding. "Sure, Jag. Tonight at eight. We'll go to the Calcour Club." Jag nodded. The intercom droid came on and said, "Miss Solo, your brother is here to see you."

   Jag nodded and left the room. As he passed Jacen, the Jedi Master read his mind, smiled and whispered, "Don't worry Jag. She's been like this to everyone lately. She'll come around," and patted Fel on the shoulder. Jag smiled hopefully and Jacen walked into the room. He stood in front of Jaina's desk and said, "Jaina, that attacker at the Senate that I thought I recognized…she's been interrogated, and the authorities have discover that she used to be Jedi. She's Inama Thar." Jaina's eyes flashed. Inama used to be Jaina's Padawan. Jacen continued, "I just want to say I'm sorry. And I've got more bad news. Five Padawans have been kidnapped from the Temple. I was wondering if the Defense Force had received any leads…" 

  "No we haven't Jacen!" snapped Jaina. Jacen was startled. "Jaina, it's okay. Just because she was your Padawan…" he began. "Just go away, Jacen. Just shut up and leave," said Jaina coldly as she stared angrily at him. Jacen was shocked and stood there for a second. He opened his mouth as if to say something else, then thought better of it, sighed, and left the room. As he left, he suddenly felt a surge in the Force. Something terrible was happening…to Ben!

***

      Jaina sighed and put her head on her desk for a minute. Then she sat up and dialed a number into her comm. Her contact needed to know this whole thing was getting out of hand. "Yeah, it's me," she said. "Listen, we need to finish this fast." Her contact chuckled and hung up again. Jaina dropped her comm, lay her head on her desk and cried.


	11. Taken

**Ch.**** 11 Taken**

**A/N: Now, Ben starts getting some answers!**

  The _Jade Shadow _burst out of hyperspace and headed for New Coruscant. As Vix piloted the ship, a console beeped. She looked at it and saw that it had detected Jaina Solo's Sekotan X-wing in the immediate area. Vix looked up at the viewscreen and saw the X-wing flying rapidly past her field of vision. Vix opened up a comm. Channel. "Master Solo, this is…" but the X-wing vanished into hyperspace before Vix could finish. Why was Jaina in such a hurry? Where could she be going?

    A few minutes later, Vix landed outside the Jedi Temple and ran up the steps. The front door opened before she got there and Jacen hurried over to her. "Vix, what happened to Ben?" he asked. Vix hurriedly told him what had happened…except for the part about the budding romance between herself and Ben, of course. Jacen listened worriedly and when Vix was done, he said, "Your master will be coming with you in the _Jade Shadow_. I'll be aboard the _Falcon _with Lowbacca and Tahiri. We're gonna mount a rescue mission. Don't worry. Everything will be okay." Jacen smiled reassuringly at Vix, with more confidence than he actually felt.

***

    Ben groaned as he slowly woke up. He couldn't remember what had happened. He lay there, groaning for a while before finally sitting up in the bed and remembering what had happened. He looked around. He was in a dark, cold room which was empty except for the bed he was sitting on, which was covered with gray blankets. He reached out with the Force to sense his surroundings. Suddenly, the door opened and a lithe, thin woman walked gracefully in. She was covered with tattoos and scars but Ben remembered her face. "Hello, Ben. Long time no see," said the woman softly. Ben gasped and said, "Lania?!" Lania Xarti had once been his first girlfriend.

     She smiled indulgently and replied, "That's right Ben. Tell me, do you like the way I look now? I think it makes me look more…refined, don't you?" Ben didn't respond but stared at her, his mouth still gaping open. "You…you're behind the assassinations, aren't you?" he gasped. Lania smiled in a matter-of-fact way and replied, "Yes, Ben. But only in the interest of progress. You see, I realized that the reason the Yuuzhan Vong managed to devastate the galaxy so much twenty years ago was because their biotech made them powerful. I decided that the only way _we could progress to that level would be to _become part-Yuuzhan Vong. _Look at me. I used remaining Yuuzhan Vong biotech, and a new biological agent called Alpha Green, to shape my body and I started a new Order of people who shared my ideas, using money I had stolen from the old crime cartel of a being known as Boss B. I shaped them as well. The Galactic Alliance would only get in the way if it ever found out. That's why I had to destroy it. But I also organized the assassinations and a kidnapping to help my Hutt partners. You see, after the Vong War ended, the Galactic Alliance took over Hutt Space, leaving the Hutts with no place to run their criminal empire, so many of them had to go __respectable. But Hikta the Great, and his brother, who you met on Tatooine, decided they wanted to build a new order. I contacted them and made a deal with them._

    "Their crime organization has been helping me by transporting Vong biotech to cells of my organization all over the galaxy, but especially on Naboo, where I have a slightly larger following, which is why so many assassinations have been going on there. Hikta and his brother also wanted me to help them get revenge on a person who caused them a lot of suffering. The Ssi-ruuk also wanted her, since she committed wrongs against them as well. In return, they provided this base." Lania gestured at the walls surrounding them. "And now it's time for you to meet this prisoner," she said grinning. She motioned Ben to follow her. 

   They walked into a hall, flanked by Lania's bodyguards. They finally reached some securely locked doors. After Lania opened them, she pushed Ben inside. "Have a nice time chatting with her," she sneered as she closed the doors. Ben tried to use the Force, but the room was crawling with ysalamiri. He looked up at the prisoner and moved close to her face. It was hard to tell who she was in the darkness, but Lania had not taken away Ben's glow rod. He ignited it and gasped as he recognized the woman who was in chains before him. She had aged, certainly. Her brown hair had turned almost completely gray and her face had a few more wrinkles, but it was still relatively smooth. He gasped as he recognized the rest of the features of this woman. She was someone he had long thought dead. 

She was his Aunt Leia Organa Solo.


	12. The Hunt

**A/N: Thanks for all the great reviews! Please keep R&Ring! :)**

**Ch.**** 12 The Hunt**

      _"I just can't believe he's gone," sobbed Luke, shaking his head with his hands limply holding the dejarik board in the cabin of the Millenium Falcon. Leia, with an equally shattered expression on her face, rubbed Luke's shoulders consolingly. She was also in shock that General Kenobi had just been killed by Darth Vader aboard the Death Star._

The scene faded away from Leia and a new one appeared.

_Leia paused before she entered the bridge of the Jade Sabre, the shuttle her brother, Luke had built for his wife, Mara Jade. Before her, and apparently oblivious to her, Mara and Jaina sat comfortably, side by side at the controls, talking and smiling. _

_Mara was not a substitute mother for Jaina, but rather a big sister, and when Leia considered the fires that constantly burned in Mara's green eyes, she understood that the woman could give to Jaina things that Leia could not._

       This scene also faded away and was replaced by the image of Ben, now in his early twenties, gazing up at her. "Aunt Leia, I can't believe it's really you!" gasped her nephew. He was so much the images of Luke and Mara combined into one. Leia felt herself swelling with pride, but also worry that her nephew was here. "Ben…" she sighed. Ben, apparently oblivious to the fact that he was locked in a miniature dungeon that was chock full of ysalamri, beamed at her, his young face full of joy. Leia felt herself moved to tears.

    "Aunt Leia," he asked, "How are you still alive. Everyone thought you were…w-we thought…" Leia closed her eyes and quietly replied, "It was a trick. Lania Xarti told me how she did it. One night when I was asleep, she broke into our apartment with an ysalamiri. She used it to cut off my connection to the Force and make it seem as if I had died. She had somehow created a clone of me and killed it. So when she took me, she left the clone's corpse to make it seem like I was dead. Ever since then, I've been imprisoned and tortured and she makes sure that there are always a few ysalamiri around me."

    Ben sat there in shock. So that's what really happened. His aunt had never died. The body they had burned on the funeral pyre…the ashes they had scattered among the asteroids that were all that remained of Alderaan…they had belonged to a clone. But there were still so many questions Ben needed to know the answers to. The attackers in the Senate…they had lightsabers in addition to Vong biotech. Who had taught them how to build and use lightsabers? But that didn't matter right now. He was back with aunt. A hollow place that had been in his heart ever since her "death" was instantly refilled with his aunt's love.

***

      Jacen held the smuggler even more tightly as he squirmed in his hands, in a futile attempt to escape to his freighter. "I'll ask you again," said Jacen calmly, with Vix, Saba, and Lowbacca standing behind him in the docking bay on Aphridoc IV. "Where were you bring these shipments from?" "I ain't telling you nothin'!" yelled the pilot, still struggling to escape. " Jacen sighed. He'd tried a mind trick but this pilot had a strong will. He was about to try again when Vix suddenly stepped forward and stared in the pilot's face. "Listen, bozo, if you don't tell us, we'll make sure the Judge comes down really hard on you," she hissed, furious that Ben had been kidnapped.

     The pilot finally seemed intimidated enough to gasp, "The moon of the Ssi-ruuk capitol world! That's where the biotech's being grown!" Jacen motioned to the local law enforcement standing at the back of the docking bay and when they came near, he said, "Take him away." Jacen, Vix, Saba, and Lowbacca headed back for the _Shadow and the __Falcon. Since the return of Yuuzhan Vong weapons could pose a major threat to the Galactic Alliance, they had also come with several other Jedi, as well as Jag Fel and Comet Squadron, along with Rogue Squadron which was now lead by a pilot named Jax Skalra in the aftermath of the former Rogue Leader's death. To top it all off, Admiral Antilles had allowed them to bring along the Star Destroyers _Chimaera _and __Errant Venture for assistance. _

         "Don't worry, Ben," thought Vix. "We're coming for you."


	13. Rising

**Ch.**** 13 Rising**

      Lania sighed and rolled her eyes as she looked through the window to her base's docking bay, where a Sekotan X-wing was landing and a woman with dark hair climbed out, a lightsaber clipped to her utility belt. When would she ever learn?

***

          Ben sat on the damp floor of the cell, shooing away the ysalamiri. He had been talking to Aunt Leia for hours now. It was almost as if nothing had happened, as if she had never been away. Suddenly, the door to the cell opened and a Rodian covered with scars and tattoos emerged. He grunted, beckoning for Ben to come. Ben reluctantly left the cell, but he suddenly had a brainstorm. As soon as he left the "bubble" of non-Force created by the ysalamiri, he dug into the Rodian's mind. The Rodian's eyes glazed over and he toppled to the floor as Ben furiously searched his mind. Finally, he found what he was looking for.

        He turned to the access panel of the cell, whose doors had already closed, and typed in a code to reopen the doors. Next, he typed in a code that released Aunt Leia from her bonds. She collapsed in a heap on the floor of the cell. Ben rushed in and carried her out, tossing the unconscious Rodian into the cell right before it closed. Suddenly, Leia's eyes burst open again and her mouth opened slightly in awe. She was feeling the Force for the first time in over a decade.

        Ben used the Force to assist him in rushing down the sterile hall, Aunt Leia hanging on around his shoulders. She was still weak from her imprisonment, but she held on with surprising strength, both physically and with the Force, although she hadn't been exposed to it for a long time. As Ben carried her, he felt a rush of pride. He was about to save his beloved aunt. Now all he needed to do was find a ship. Suddenly, Aunt Leia, who had been reaching out with the Force, gasped and told Ben excitedly, "Ben, Jaina's here!"

***

       Lania smirked as Jaina yelled at her. "Just let my mom go!!!!" she shrieked, as Lania chuckled. "Sorry, Solo. Like I said, not until you give me some more secret files from the Defense Force offices. Till then, your dear old mom stays right where she is," replied Lania with a malicious glint in her eyes. Jaina gazed at her furiously. "Alright, I'll get you the access codes to the Kuat Drive Yards mainframe and the new line of Star Destroyers. Lania sneered, "That's fine for now, Jaina. But next time it better be something better." Jaina gazed at her angrily. Suddenly, the red alarm lights began flashing. An electronic voice droned, "_Red alert. Two Galactic Alliance Star Destroyers, two fighter squadrons, squadrons, one space yacht, and one Corellian 1300 light freighter emerging from hyperspace and on approach to base."_

**A/N: **Sorry this chapter was kinda short, but I promise the next one will contain a lot more startling revelations, romance, and action. Please continue to r&r. Thanks!


	14. Gone

**Ch, 14 Gone**

**A/N: **Sorry it took so long to update, but I was real busy! Now I'll try to update almost every day, like I did for the first few chapters. Please continue to r&r!

        The _Errant Venture _and _Chimaera _came out of hyperspace and immediately angled towards the moon of the Ssi-ruuk capitol world. After a few minutes of conversing with P'weck Space Control, Jacen had told the P'weck government, which had replaced the Ssi-ruuk Imperium more than twenty years earlier, what was happening on their moon. Apparently, the P'weck had been told by the manager of the site that it was a mining facility. _Boy, were they fooled thought Jacen as the Star Destroyers continued their approach. Lowbacca sensed this thought and chuckled. They were piloting the _Millenium Falcon_. Masters Zekk and Tahiri were also aboard the __Falcon. Vix and Saba were piloting the _Jade Shadow_, which also carried Vix's father, Kyle Katarn, and Master Kyp__ Durron. _

         "Rogue Leader to Philosopher, I'm approaching the coordinates that thug back on Tatooine gave you. Do you copy, Philosopher?" asked Jax Skalra. Jacen replied, "Philosopher to Rogue Leader. I copy". Then Jag said, "Comet Leader to Philosopher. I'm also on approach." "Philosopher to Comet Leader. I copy," replied Jacen.

      Corran Horn, broadcasting from the command bridge of the _Venture_, said, "Alright then. Lock S-foils in attack position and assume attack coordinates for Attack Pattern Beta." Jacen sighed and sat back wearily. Things had been really hectic lately. He just hoped he could save Ben and get to the bottom of this mysterious plot quickly.

***

       Ben broke open the last of the five holding cells he'd encountered while running down the hall. They had each contained one Jedi Padawan, each captured only a few days earlier, and a bunch of ysalamiri. Together, Ben and the other Padawans rushed down the remainder of the hall with Leia, who was now able to run, with some help from the Force. Ben heard the red alert alarm going off and knew there wasn't much time.

       They had to find a ship to escape quickly. But the problem was, the base's troops would probably be swarming the docking bay to reach their fighters. They needed a miracle.

***

         Jag landed in the docking bay as he and Comet Squadron wiped out every ship that remained inside it. He jumped out and ran towards a dark figure straggling to get into an X-wing that was already parked here. She was hurrying, but Jag and the rest of the Comet Squadron pilots caught up to her. Jag grabbed her shoulder and snarled, "Alright, lady. Don't do anything stupid!" The woman sighed and smoothly replied, "I wouldn't dream of it, Jag."

  Jag blinked in shock. That voice…he knew that voice. It was the voice of the woman he had loved for so many years.

The woman turned around and grimaced. "I'm sorry, Jag," sighed Jaina Solo.

   Jag keeled over and lay on the floor in shock. His wingmates gasped and attempted to pull him up. They pulled him up physically, but Jag knew that nothing could ever lift him from the agony that now engulfed his heart.

        "Jaina…" he gasped. "How could you?" As Jagged Fel drowned in his own misery, he was only subconsciously aware of the twenty Vong-like warriors that burst into the docking bay and surrounded him and Comet Squadron.

***

        Jacen punched on the throttle as he eliminated the last group of ships that had managed to get past Comet Squadron and engage the Galactic Alliance ships. These enemy ships seemed to be a cross between coralskippers and conventional smuggler ships. This was definitely a bizarre battle. Suddenly, one of Jag's wingmates came on the comm and said frantically, "You'll never believe this! Jaina's working for the enemy!" 

Jacen felt his heart sink as his surroundings suddenly became a great blur. 

_Jaina, no…_


	15. Solo

**Ch.**** 15 Solo**

       Ben, Leia and the Padawans watched from a window on the floor above the docking bay as the members of Lania's cult rounded up Jag and Comet Squadron. There was a woman standing near Lania. Ben couldn't see her face, but from her posture, she seemed very dejected. Ben reached out with the Force to try and get some sense of her. Then he gasped as he recognized the presence he felt.

It was Jaina.

Ben, mouth still open in horror turned slowly to look at Aunt Leia. He could tell from the look on her face that she had also reached out and recognized her daughter. Leia began trembling and she suddenly collapsed onto the floor.

Ben and the others gasped and started to tend to her. "Stay here," Ben commanded the other Padawans. "I'm gonna go ahead and find a way out. Stay here and protect her." The other Padawans nodded sadly as Ben stormed down the hall.

     Ben found a vault and surmised there must be another Padawan inside. A guard suddenly ran up to him brandishing an amphistaff. Ben kicked him in the face, knocking him unconscious. He probed the guard's mind and found the access code to this vault. He punched it in and watched as the vault opened. But instead of a Padawan imprisoned and surrounded by ysalamiri, he found the vault contained only a pedestal with a silvery orb balanced atop it. Ben slowly walked into the room, which was lit by a dim, blue light. He slowly stretched out and touched the orb.

Then he felt a jolt as his body lurched from what felt like an electric current. Everything was swallowed by darkness. Then, a figure emerged from the dark

***

      "Now, now Jaina. Remember the other part of our deal" said Lania. "You will get a chance to speak to your brother _after we evacuate and go to a new base I've prepared on Myrkr." She smirked as Jaina flinched at the mention of the planet. "Oh, you want summon him _there _of all places?!" snarled Jaina through gritted teeth. "How do I even know you can summon him?"_

     Lania laughed. You'll just have to trust me on that, Solo. But first we must leave before your other brother gets here." Jaina stared angrily at Lania and flinched again as one of Lania's henchmen kicked Jag.

***

      "It's okay, Ben. Don't be scared," said a kind voice. Ben could tell it was the voice of a teen, but for some reason, the voice echoed. Ben looked up and gasped. The teenaged boy standing in front of him was someone he'd heard a lot about his whole life. He had a blue aura about him now, but he was still recognizable, since Jacen had shown Ben this person's picture lots of times. After all, he was Jacen's brother.

      It was the ghost of Anakin Solo. 

      Ben, wide-eyed, stuttered, "Y-You're…you're…" Anakin smiled and replied. "Yeah, I am." Ben finally managed to ask, "How did you appear?" Anakin replied, "The orb you just touched was an artifact that was hidden in a vault at the Jedi Temple during the days of the Old Republic. The ancient Jedi valued it because of its ability to summon the spirits of the dead. During Palpatine's Purge, it was stolen from the ruins of the Temple and presented to Palpatine, who stored it in Mount Tantiss on Wayland. However, when Thrawn raided the mountain, he apparently didn't find it. Although, our grandfather, Darth Vader once used to speak with his dead wife, but the Emperor found out and punished him for it.

   Anyway, while I'm here, I might as well reveal a few things to you that you'll need to know to fulfill your destiny."

Ben slowly nodded. "I'm listening," he replied.

***

       Tahiri shrieked and jumped out of her seat. "What is it?" asked Zekk, who was clearly surprised by her outburst. The battle was still raging around the _Falcon, but Zekk hadn't felt anything urgent. Tahiri, wide-eyed, gasped, "I…I sense him…" "Who?" asked Zekk, a concerned expression on his face. Tahiri whispered, "Anakin…"_


	16. Why

**Ch.**** 16 Why**

      Jacen landed outside the base and rushed out of the _Falcon _toward the blasted gates. Lowbacca was running behind him, along with Tahiri and Zekk. The rest of the Jedi and Galactic Alliance troops were also rushing to the compound. The _Chimaera _and _Errant Venture_, along with the Rogues, had been joined by the P'weck battleships _Firrinree, Errinung'ka, and _Lwothin _and five P'weck starfighter squadrons, and were now blasting any enemy ships that attempted to escape._

      Tahiri, and Jacen himself, had both sensed Anakin! Jacen sensed a familiar presence, but had been unable to name it. And now he felt Anakin! They needed to get into the base quickly.

***

        "Ben, you must understand that you have a great gift. You are stronger in the Force than any of the other Padawans at the Temple. And because of that power, you have a great responsibility. Your connection to your mom and dad is strong. Always use it for good"

       Ben replied, "Yes, Anakin. But I have a question. W-Why did Jaina join Lania?" Anakin's ghost sadly replied, "She hasn't, Ben. She would never betray her friends or her family. In fact, this is ironic, but her family is the reason she's been giving Lania information." As Ben's mouth opened wide, Anakin continued, "You see, Lania _told _her that our mom was imprisoned here, and that she could use that orb you touched to get her into contact with me _if _she did whatever she said. Jaina didn't know what else to do."

      As Ben solemnly sat thinking about this, Anakin looked up, as if hearing something that Ben couldn't. "And now you must hurry and go," he said. And with a dashing smile he finished by saying, "Goodbye, Ben. Tell everyone I said hi."

And with that, Anakin Solo disappeared and the room returned to Ben's vision.

***

        "I'm sorry Corran, but this is the best way to finish the enemy," said the bridge officer. Corran scowled in frustration. Then he sighed and yelled to the comm officer, "Then warn Jacen and the others." The officer replied, "Uh…sir? We have a problem. There's too much interference and we can't warn them." 

    "Sithspit! Call it off then!" yelled Corran. 'It's too late," replied the bridge officer. "I've already ordered the druids to commence the bombardment of the base.

***

     Jacen and the others rushed into the docking bay just in time to catch twenty enemies in the act of forcing Comet Squadron through a doorway. As he and the others attacked them, Jacen worked his way forward till he reached The front of the line, where the woman he guessed was the leader was…with Jaina. As Jaina gasped as Lania and her brother fought violently, Jacen suddenly felt a tremor in the Force. They were about to be bombarded.


	17. Escape

**Ch.**** 17 Escape**

Jacen, Tahiri, Zekk, and Lowbacca collapsed onto the floor as a grutchin flew off the ceiling where it had been hiding and pinned them down. Their lightsabers flew out of their hands and rolled uselessly away.

Lania sneered to Jag, "And now, you will die, Fel." She raised her amphistaff and then stabbed downward, when suddenly, a purple lightsaber blade interceptedthe blow and saved Jag's life. Lania looked up and saw Jaina glaring angrily at her. "No, Lania," she said. "Now _you _die." 

   Lania sneered, "Oh, so now the pathetic hero comes to the rescue to save her one true love, huh? Well so be it, Jedi." Lania leaped into the air, landed on a catwalk above, and started releasing thud bugs and razor bugs. Jaina easily flicked them aside with her lightsaber. Lania's thugs rushed forward to attack Jaina. Lania screeched, "No, you idiots! You have to hold back Comet Squadron!!!" But because of her thugs' stupidity, the damage had already been done. 

    The members of Comet Squadron kicked, punched, and lunged at the thugs from behind and held them down long enough to reach for the blasters and end the fight. At the realization that Jaina hadn't really joined the enemy and that his squadron was free, Jag felt his charisma and will to survive flood back into him. He lifted himself from the floor with a grin, walked right up to Jaina, and kissed her. "What was that for?" asked Jaina. Jag grinned again replied, "That was for being so darn smart and beautiful." Jaina kissed Jag and replied, "And that was for being you." Then she tossed her lightsaber at the stunned grutchin, killing it and freeing her brother, Lowie, Tahiri, and Zekk. Just then, the Galactic Alliance troops, which had been pinned down by several enemies, rushed into the docking bay.

     Lania screamed and was about to toss more projectiles down at Jaina, when the docking bay suddenly shook violently and the lights deactivated. Now, the only sources of light were the five lightsaber blades. The bombardment's started," gasped Jacen. "We have to reach Ben!"

***

    The _Jade Shadow _landed, just as the ion cannons and turbolasers of the _Chimaera and __Errant Venture opened fire on the base. Vix gasped, "Saba…" "This one knows, Vix. This one is sure the others will be alright," whispered Saba. But Vix could sense the uncertainty and fear in her master. Vix's father, Kyle Katarn, put a comforting hand on his daughter's shoulder. "Don't worry, Vix. They'll escape. Somehow." he said. Vix tried her best to smile and replied, "Thanks, Dad." _

    "Well what are we gonna do about it?" demanded Kyp. "I know," replied Kyle. He motioned Saba to let him sit in the pilot's seat. She did and Kyle typed in a comm number. "If Corran can't get them to stop, I know who can," he said. "Who are you calling, Dad?" asked Vix. Kyle looked over at her and replied, "The Chief of State."

***

    Nom Anor grinned as Dr. Flathern opened his cell door. "Your coralskipper has been prepared," she said. Nom Anor walked out his cell and held out his palm to the doctor. She put a small, organic blade into his outstretched hand and said, "And here is your coufee." 

    The doctor had been employed at Maw Installation for almost twenty years, yet somehow, Lania Xarti had been able to convince her to join her plot. She had been ordered to funnel the information of Jaina Solo's forced servitude to Lania to the disgraced former executor, just to remind her that Lania could stretch her influence anywhere when Jaina interviewed Nom Anor earlier. Apparently, Solo's department of the Defense Force had received hints about Lania's plot and she had had to pretend she knew nothing about it and interview Nom Anor here at Maw Installation. Finally, Lania had ordered Dr. Flathern to release him so he could join their plot. 

     As Nom Anor gazed silently at the mad doctor, deep in thought, she said, "I have just received word that Lania's base in under attack." She went on to relate the number of Galactic Alliance and P'weck ships present at the battle and said that Nom Anor must come with her. But Nom Anor realized that Lania and her organization were hopeless and within a few seconds, came up with his own strategy.

     He stabbed Flathern with his coufee. She grunted in pain and collapsed dead onto the floor. Nom Anor rushed to the room where she kept her personal files. After reading them, he knew he had a full-proof plan for surivival. A little while later, he entered his coralskipper with a disk containing all of Flathern's files and fled.


End file.
